Metro officials have announced that route changes will be made to Route 1 in October. Officials state that the changes are intended to better serve local residents and visitors to the Queen City looking to take advantage of the large number of cultural institutions along the route.

The modified service will connect more than 40 cultural institutions throughout Cincinnati’s center city neighborhoods. Changes will include new 30-foot hybrid buses funded by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act that will operate with greater frequency. As a result, riders will benefit from 30 minute bus intervals operating seven days a week.

The new route will also undergo a light-hearted name modification as it is transformed into “Route 1: The One for Fun.”

“The One for Fun will connect the dots of fun in Cincinnati,” said Dave Etienne, Metro’s Marketing Director in a prepared release. “On the Rt. 1, it’s just ten minutes from downtown to Museum Center or from downtown to the Art Museum or Krohn Conservatory. It will be a convenient way to travel to dozens of Cincinnati’s treasures.”

Metro officials will be hosting an open house on Wednesday, September 8 from 3pm to 6pm at the transit agency’s headquarters (12th floor) in downtown Cincinnati. At the open house, current and future riders will have a chance to get an up close look at the forthcoming changes.

That’s tremendous. The changes do seem to make a lot of sense. I like that there will be greater frequencies on smaller buses. I also like how more cultural institutions are hit on this route. If they could sell a special pass to tourists that would allow for unlimited rides over a three-day weekend period, that would be extra great.